Fire, Fire
by divergentandproudofit
Summary: Cato and Clove are the last people that Capitol expects to rebel. They're Careers, after all. But when Cato and Clove are thrown into the Games together and the Capitol says only one can live, Cato and Clove decide to change the game. How far will Clove go to save her Cato? Chapters are named for different songs that go with the chapter. Please read and review!
1. Kingdom Come- Civil Wars

**Clove POV**

In the dream, I have to watch him die, and there's nothing I can do t o stop it.

I wake with a circle of moisture on my pillow and my mouth opened in a silent scream._._

It's my worst fear, an altered reality in which Cato isn't there. I'm all alone, without him to protect me, without his strong arms to hold me close and keep away the demons that haunt me.

_Clove, pull it together,_I tell myself. I'm acting like a lovesick puppy. It's pathetic. Especially with the Games in less than three months. Now is NOT the time to break down. I need to train. Harder, faster, so I can win this thing. For him.

I open the window and swing out, landing on my feet. Trusting the night to disguise me, I slip into the pine forest that borders our portion of the district. I need to get away from it all.

I run, slowly at first, but speed up, fast and strong and silent.

Maybe somehow, some way, I can outrun my nightmare.

I think that ever since I fell for Cato, I've actually been going a little crazy. I'm scared to death of losing him to another girl, or watching him die.

He feels the same about me, I know. Some nights I see him in the woods, breathing heavily, leaning against a tree for support.

When I find him like that, he wraps his arms around me, silent tears streaming down his face. When I ask him what's wrong, he just says, "I don't ever want to lose you."

Lately I've stopped asking.

Tonight I take the path to our meeting spot, a clearing that we found in the woods last winter. It's well hidden, surrounded by tall pines and covered with ivy.

I sit on a fallen tree, my head in my hands, and think about what's to come.

We are not allowed to know who's coming into the Arena with us, and we can't tell anyone if we've been picked to go.

I told Cato, though. We have no secrets from each other, Cato and I. But if it's him going into the Arena, and he hasn't told me because it would be too painful, well, I have no idea what I would do.

I don't think I can make it without him.

I feel a light tap on my shoulder and turn around.

He stands behind me, a concerned expression on his face. Oh, Cato.

He shouldn't be so worried about me if he's in just as much pain as I am.

I wrap my arms around him and lean my head against his chest.

"What is it," he says softly, hugging me so tightly that I can't see his face.

I steal his line. "I just don't want to lose you."

"Are you okay?"

"I don't know, Cato," I whisper. "I'm awake, but... I'll be going into the Arena soon and I might die and..."

"Sorry. I shouldn't have asked."

He kisses me, sighing as he pulls back.

"Clove. Look at me."

I do.

"You can win, okay? You just have to be fast. And smart. All they want is a good show. Just give it to them."

**Cato POV**

I can't tell her that it's me. She's hurting enough as is, and if I tell her she'll know that I'm going to sacrifice myself so that she can win. I wish for a change of the rules, to have two others go in instead of us, but it won't happen. There's no going back.

I just hope that my death isn't too painful.


	2. Bleeding Out- Imagine Dragons

**Bleeding Out by Imagine Dragons- theme song for this chapter. Enough said.**

**Three months later...**

**Clove POV**

Reaping Day. As soon as I wake, I remember.

It's 5 a.m. but I don't care. I have to say goodbye to Cato.

I climb out the window, making sure that it doesn't lock behind me so that I can get back in , and sprint to our spot. He's already there, waiting. He sees me coming, hops down from the fallen tree, and barrels towards me.

We collide, fall to the ground, and stay there.

He's been crying. The thought of him crying over me, over my possible death, almost kills me then and there.

I gently trace the path of the tears on his cheek and than pull his mouth to mine in a gentle kiss. We taste of heat and fear and pain. When we finally break apart, he touches my face.

"Clove, I love you."

I smile through the tears that spill down my cheeks. "I love you more."

"Not possible." He grins.

"Possible."

He holds me tightly, neither of us wanting to say what we're both thinking. That this might be the last time.

"I wish I could stay here, like this, forever." I say, my voice cracking.

"Clove."

"What is it?"

"Clove, it's me."

"What do you mean?"

And then I get it. He's going into the Arena with me.

Oh, god. Please don't let this happen. Please don't let this be real. I know he will try to sacrifice himself so that I can live, but I wouldn't. I'd just die from heartbreak instead of a wound.

"Cato, NO," I sob. "You can't die for me. If you sacrifice yourself I swear to God I will kill you."

He raises his eyebrows. "You might have to wait in line."

My laugh turns into more tears.

He puts an arm around me. "Clove, I'm so sorry. I volunteered, and then I was going to tell you, but you said it was you, and I just didn't want it to be real..."

He doesn't need to say it. We both know that there's no backing out.

He kisses me, and I feel like I'm dying from the inside.

Suddenly, I'm back in my nightmare, except we're in the games, and the life is bleeding out of him.

He kisses me for the last time.

"Always remember that I love you," he whispers just before he slips away.

"Clove!"

I'm pulled out of the hallucination by the sound of his voice.

"Clove, you have to hold on, please..."

I nod, my body wracked with sobs.

He pulls me closer, holding me tightly until I calm down.

"Cato... if all they want is a good show, than why don't we give them one?"

"Huh?"

"If we play out the romance in the Arena, maybe they'll change the rules. Maybe we can both go home."

He nods, biting his lip. "It's worth a try."

We stay there, lying on the hard ground, kissing and talking and hoping, until it's time to go get ready.

"Happy Hunger Games, and may the odds-"

"Be ever in your favor,"I finish. "See you soon."

I'm grief-stricken, but a part of me that isn't as brave as I wish it was is glad that I don't have to say goodbye. Yet.

**OMG... I need a tissue... now I'm crying too. * runs off for a tissue ***


	3. Fallen- Imagine Dragons

**Theme song fore this chapter- Fallen by Imagine Dragons.**

**Clove POV**

As soon as I get home, I carefully wash all traces of tears from my face. I don't want anyone but Cato to know that I've been crying.

I bathe quickly- I have a stick in my hair and dirt all over my face. As a matter of fact, when I walked in the door my 18 year-old brother Ivan said, " geez, Clove. What were you DOING with him?"

Boys.

My mother has laid out my reaping outfit, a pretty dark green dress that falls to my knees and matches the color of the pine woods exactly.

Cato will love it.

I pout my hair up in a bun and sit on the bed, trying not to think of Cato going into the Arena. Catalina, my 10 year-old sister, comes into the room and hugs me.

"So today's the day." she says.

I nod.

"Try and win, okay? For me. And Cato."

You're allowed to tell your family that that you're going into the Arena, so they know. But they don't know about Cato.

"Catalina, it's Cato. He's going into the Arena with me."

The expression on her face can only be called horror.

"But Clove- oh, no! You can't kill him!"

I am barely holding back the tears.

Catalina notices this, and says softly, "it's all right. You'll find a way around it. You always do."

I just hope that way doesn't involve Cato dying.

I meet up with Cato for the walk to the square. When I see him, I catch my breath. He looks amazing in a white shirt and black pants. I see him staring at my dress, and I smile.

"What, do I have something on my face?"

"No, it's just... whoa."

I grab his hand. "Glad you like it."

We kiss, and I never, ever want this to end. We're too young to die.

He pulls me towards the square, and I stumble, not fully in control of my mother's high heels. He sweeps me into his arms and carrys me the rest of the way, setting me down just outside the square.

"See you on the train."

We go to the table to get checked in, and he heads to the boy's section while I go the other way to the girls section. I watch him leave. He looks so strong in the afternoon sunlight. During moments like this one, sometimes I can't believe that he's mine.

The microphone squeals loudly and I clap my hands over my ears.

"Welcome, welcome," says Elita, the Capitol woman who reads the names every year. "Happy Hunger Games, and may the odds be ever in your favor. Now before we pick the winners, we have a very special film to watch."

It's the same one every year.

War, terrible war, Cato mouths. I smile at him.

Right on cue, the movie comes on. "War, terrible war. Widows, orphans, motherless childs..."

I tune out the annoying video and focus on Cato. He's the only way I'm going to get through this.

He gives me a reassuring smile and tilts his head towards the stage. Elita's stupid blue wig has listed slightly to the side. I roll my eyes.I do not get these Capitol people.

"...this is how we remember our past. This is how we safeguard our future."

Ohmigodohmigodohmigod. It's almost time. I feel like I'm going to fall. Or faint. Or burst into flames.

"And now it's time to pick the lucky winners! Ladies first."

Elita rummages around in the reaping ball. We all hold our breath.

"Kali Ruben."

I don't know this girl, but I see a slight redheaded twelve year-old head towards the stage.

"I volunteer! " I yell. There. Done.

"Name?"

"Clove Eaton."

I take my place on one side of the stage.

"All right, boys. Your turn." Elita says in her Capitol accent.

"Cato Prior."

He joins me onstage, and we shake hands. It's all I can do to not throw my arms around him and hold him there as long as I can.

We're rushed into the Justice Building, and I look back. It is my last glimpse of Two for what will probably be quite a while.


	4. Every Night- Imagine Dragons

**Theme song for this chapter- Every Night by Imagine Dragons**

** Clove POV**

The goodbyes are painful, but I manage not to cry. I wish that Cato could come and see me, but that's not allowed. At least I'll see him on the train.

My hour goes by too quickly, and I'm ushered to a car. Cato is already inside, and I slide over next to him. He grabs my hand, and I lean my head on his shoulder. He puts his other arm around me, and I am reminded of how many other times we've sat like this over the course of two years.

"Happy Hunger Games," he whispers. I force a smile.

Enobaria climbs into the backseat and stops short when she sees our position. I imagine how strange we must look to her since we're supposed to be killing each other in a week. But I won't kill Cato. I could never kill Cato.

Enobaria clears her throat.

Cato just raises his eyebrows and pulls me closer. I have to admire his attitude.

Enobaria shakes her head and gets in.

I nestle closer to Cato and pull my feet up. I don't care what Enobaria thinks about us,though I probably should. She's my mentor, after all.

Maybe she can help us find a way out of this mess.

it's a short ride to the train station, and we board in silence. I'm still holding tight to Cato's hand. We sit on a blue velvet couch. Or rather, he sits and I lay down with my head in his lap. He absently fiddles with a strand of hair that's come loose from my bun.

Elita, Enobaria, and Brutus stare at our very public show of affection.

I almost laugh. This should be interesting.

They all look at each other, unsure of what to say. Finally Enobaria says, "how long have you been together?"

"Two years," I say.

Well, it's all on the table now. They know that there's NO FREAKING WAY we will ever kill each other.

Cato breaks the very awkward silence. "So what's for dinner?"

"Ummmmm..." says Brutus.

Suddenly we all burst out laughing. Maybe it's because of the situation, or maybe we're all so desperate for laughter that we can't stand it any longer. Whatever the reason, I'm glad it happens. I haven't laughed in a week.

I sit up, leaning towards Cato. He wraps his arms around me and whispers, "what do you think they're going to do about it?"

"There's nothing they can do," I reply. He laughs, and I laugh too.

Elita, Enobaria, and Brutus are still sitting in their chairs like stone statues.

I roll my eyes. "You'd think they would have gotten over it by now."

"Apparently not."

"You know what? I don't care what they think." I say.

"Me neither."

He pulls my face to his and slowly kisses me. I kiss him back, imagining the shock on our mentors' faces. When I finally break away, we smile at each other and glance over at the adults.

Elita's face is so red I'm surprised that her makeup doesn't melt right off. Brutus and Enobaria look equally embarrassed.

"Deal with it," Cato says, and kisses me again.

He pulls back and I crack up.

It's fun to play around with them.

We walk over to the refreshments table. It's loaded with foods that I've never seen before,and they all look delicious. Where to start?

I reach for a cookie but Enobaria shouts, "NO!"

"What?" Cato cocks an eyebrow. "Are they poisoned or something?"

"You're not allowed to have desserts. You're on a special training diet."

I return the cookie to the tray.

"Damn it," says Cato. " I like my dessert."

"Yeah, me too."

We sit back down together, and the adults leave the train car. Good. I want some privacy.

"What a piece of luck," Cato moans. "Not only are we supposed to kill each other, but we can't have any dessert."

I laugh." You're hilarious."

"Thank you," he says with a slight, mocking bow. "I try."

I roll my eyes, but I'm laughing. Who knew that the Hunger Games could be so much fun?


	5. Demons- Imagine Dragons

**Theme song for this chapter- Demons by- you guessed it- Imagine Dragons.**

** Clove POV**

When the adults come back in for dinner, Cato and I are nestled against each other, discussing strategy . It's a given that we're going to let the audience know about our romance in the hope that it will change the Games, but we aren't sure if we're going to team up with the rest of the Careers or not.

"Why don't we have it be just us?" Cato suggests just as our mentors walk in.

"Oh, no, you don't," Brutus says."You're going to need all the help you can get. And that means ALLIES."

I groan. "Can't we at least see what the other Careers are like before we make a decision?"

Enobaria sighs. "Fair enough."

Elita flicks on the television and we watch the recap of the reapings.

The District One tributes seem vicious enough, although the boy, Marvel, doesn't seem to be the sharpest tool in the shed and I can already tell that Glimmer, the beautiful blonde girl, will be flirting with every boy in the Career pack.

Including my Cato.

I scoot closer to him as they cut to District Two, not wanting to relive that awful Reaping.

I bury my face in Cato's chest.

I hear the name being read, me rushing forward to volunteer. I look up just in time to see Cato walk to the stage. He looks so strong. It's almost impossible to imagine that just a few hours before the Reaping, we lay crying in each other's arms.

I am the only person who has seen Cato cry.

I look at him and see my own pain reflected in his eyes.

As they move on to District Four, I start paying attention again. The District Four boy looks like he's only twelve, but the girl looks pretty strong. We can use her, at least.

"Looks like we've got a pretty good ally pack, huh?" I murmur. He gives me a cocky, arrogant grin. Cute.

I look back at the screen just as the District Five girl is getting reaped. She has sleek red hair and something a little sly in her eyes.

"We're gonna have to watch out for that one in the Arena," says Cato.

"No DUH," I say, running a fingertip down his cheek. He catches my hand and presses it in between his hands, and I feel as if I have been struck by lightning.

We can live. We can both make it. I have to believe that or I will go completely insane.

Most of the other tributes don't seem to be much of a threat, but the District Eleven boy is the same height as Cato and probably just as strong. His district partner, though- she's well under five feet and can't be more than twelve. I don't want to kill her.

But if we're going to live, she must die.

District Twelve actually has a volunteer this year, a skinny stick of a girl who should be no problem to take down. We've got this.

I hope.

My fear must show, because Cato reassuringly strokes my back and says, "this should be easy."

"Don't get too cocky," I say playfully. "That District Eleven boy looked like he meant buisiness."

"Unfortunately, that's probably true," he says, plying with my hair. "Oh, hey. Dinner's ready."

I leap up, pulling him with me. Sometimes I think I eat even more than Cato does. I love food of any kind. Especially dessert.

For dinner there's noodles in a green sauce, slices of pale purple melon, and salad. I eat some of everything but I am refused seconds.

Cato and I might starve to death before we can win our Games.

After Elita excuses me from the table, I Sprint to my train car, kick off these stupid high heels, and drop my dress on the floor. I'm badly in need of a shower- I smell like sweat and melon juice and my hair is a rat's nest.

Unfortunately, Capitol showers aren't what they should be.

By the time I get out, I've alternated between pneumonia, third degree burns, and drowning in a river, and I smell like lemons. Oh well. At least I'm clean.

I put on a set of ice blue pajamas and lean back on my bed. Tomorrow we arrive at the Capitol.

During dinner, Cato and I discussed strategy with our mentors, and one of the things they said was, don't resist the stylists. Brutus says the stylists are the worst part of the games.

I wonder what they did to him.

Eventually, I fall asleep, and am instantly thrown into a nightmare. Cato and the District One girl are kissing as I watch helplessly.

Then she pulls out a knife and starts to dismember him. I can only watch as he slowly dies. His last words are, "I love you, Clove."

I wake up screaming. The clock reads 1:00 a.m.

I unsuccessfully try to hold back the tears that spill over my lashes and down my cheeks.

Before I know what I'm doing I'm halfway to Cato's room. I need to make sure that my Cato really is okay.

I open his door and slip into his room. He's awake.

He lies on his chest, breathing heavily, his eyes sparkling with tears. He looks up as I enter the room, and rolls over to make room on his bed for me.

"Cato-"

"Clove-"

We don't need to say anything more. He holds me just as tightly as I hold him, both of us crying.

"I just don't want to lose you."

I fall asleep with my head on his chest.

**please review! I have been doing NOTHING but updating this fanfic!**


	6. Stay- Rihanna

**Theme song for this chapter- Stay by Rihanna**

**Clove POV**

"Clove, c'mon, get up."

I open my eyes. It's still dark. I sit up, confused. "It isn't even seven o'clock yet, Cato. Why do we have to get up?"

"Can't tell you that. We need to go. Now."

"Go where?"

He grabs my hand and pulls me up. "Follow me."

"Just tell me."

"Clove we have to hide, I heard a scuffle and then Elita screamed, and I have no idea what's happening but I don't want to put us in danger-"

"Oh my God. "

I follow him out of the room. We walk without making a sound, just as we were taught at the Academy. What is going on? I'm not sure that I want to know.

He takes me to a train car that I haven't been in yet, and walks over to a slightly raised floorboard. He presses it and a trapdoor pops up.

"How'd you find out about that?"

"Brutus showed me."

he climbs through and disappears. I follow him, pulling the door shut after me. The space is just barely big enough for the two of us. He wraps his arms around me and we sit in silence.

"Cato?" I finally whisper.

"What is it?"

"What do you think is happening?"

"My guess is, well, you know how the Avoxes are people who have committed crimes?"

I nod.

"I think that one of them is trying to kill us."

I feel as if somebody has dropped a ball of ice inside my stomach.

Then we hear heavy footsteps, and the trapdoor freaks open.

Cato hunches down, shielding me with his body. I hear a slight sound and a knife turtles towards us. I can only watch as it hits Cato in the back.

I stand up, wanting to do something, to kill, to strangle our attacker for what they did to my boy.

When I see the face, though, I gasp in shock.

The attacker is me.

I wake up with a start, reaching for Cato. A panicked breath hitches in my throat when I realize that he isn't there.

"CATO!"

"Clove?"

Cato is standing at the window, watching the landscape go by as the sun rises.

He returns to the bed, a concerned expression on his face.

I pull him down next to me and bury my face in his chest.

"I dreamed that we were hiding in another train car and there was a murderer... in the dream, I think I killed you!" I finish, gasping.

"Clove, it's okay. I'm here now. It was just a dream. That's all it was. Calm down. Please."

"What if it happens in the Arena? What if Killer Clove takes over and... and..."

"Clove, it won't happen. I won't let it happen. We're all right. Okay?"

I nod. I think he might be reassuring himself just as much as me.

He gently kisses my forehead and says, "why don't you go get ready? I don't think either of us are going to be able to go back to sleep, and can you imagine what Elita will say if she sees us?"

I smirk."yeah, wouldn't want her spreading rumors around the Capitol."

I return to my room and press random buttons on the shower. Which is a mistake, as I end up being sprayed with burning hot water and then covered with pink foam that smells of roses.

Oh, well. At least I'm awake. I dress in a tight black shirt and gray pants and head to the dining car for breakfast.

Cato is already there, devouring a gigantic plate of eggs, bacon, and potatoes.

"Go help yourself," he says. "There's plenty."

I grab some pancakes, eggs, and ham and sit down next to him.

"So I'm guessing the rest aren't up yet if we're actually allowed to have this much food."

Cato nods. "At least now I won't starve to death before I even hit the Arena."

I laugh, and he shoots me a lopsided grin. Just like he did the first time I met him.

I was ten years old, just starting at the Academy to train for the games. I was nervous, the smallest of the ten to twelve year-old class. I didn't know what we were supposed to be doing, so I just stood there. Then someone tapped my shoulder.

It was Cato.

Even back then, he was cute. He gave me a lopsided smile and asked, "wanna wrestle?"

We went over to the wrestling area of the training gym and fought it out. He won, of course, but we became friends ever since. We started going out three years later, and we've been together ever since.

Elita, Enobaria, and Brutus walk in just as we're finishing up our food.

"How much of that did you have?" Enobaria asks sternly. "Remember, special training diet."

"Only a little bit," we lie.

Just then, the train starts to slow down. Cato and I run to the window to see what we've only seen on T.V.

The Capitol.

We're here.


	7. My Songs Know What You Did in the Dark-

**Clove POV**

I clutch the edge of the table and grit my teeth as Faiga, a young woman with long curly purple hair and a feather tattooed on the side of her neck, tanks a strip of cloth off of my arm, ripping out the hair underneath.

The only reason I haven't just gotten up and walked out is because Brutus and Enobaria told us not to resist the prep team and stylists.

I smirk as I imagine Brutus and Enobaria getting the same treatment. I wonder what Cato is going through. I'll be surprised if I find out that his prep team is still alive for the opening ceremony.

"Almost done," says Addai, a man with an orange Mohawk and black lipstick says soothingly.

I should be embarrassed, since I am completely naked and apparently "I'm just so hairy" but these Capitol people remind me more of parrots than humans.

Gaila, a woman with navy blue eye makeup, lips, and hair, rinsed me off and pats me down with a towel.

"Excellent! You look almost like a human being now!" she says, and hugs me.

"Let's go get your stylist!"

They rush out of the room.

I retrieve the blue-green robe that I've been allowed to wear for some of the proceedings, put it on, and sit at the edge of the table, swinging my legs and thinking about last night.

I hope that I don't act as weak as I did last night in the Arena.

The door to the prep room opens and a woman maybe in her thirties or forties steps in.

Her long curly hair appears to be a natural shade of black, and she has a pink streak in her hair and a silver tattoo on her wrist.

"Hello, Clove, I'm Cyzarine, your stylist," she says in a quiet voice. "Why don't we have a chat?"

We sit down at a table in the corner of the room.

"As you know, it is a custom to dress the tributes in costumes reflecting the , er, flavor of the District."

I nod.

"Your District is known as the 'strong' District in the Capitol. So our current thought is to dress you and Cato in costumes that reflect strength and brutality. Any objections?"

"Nope. I'm in." I can't wait for the other tributes to see this. Instead of looking stupid, we might actually look like the serious contenders that we are.

A few hours later, I'm dressed in what should be the most sensational costume in the Opening Ceremony.

It's a golden outfit that looks like armor, with triangular pieces on the front to symbolize feathers.

I must admit, the headdress looks a little weird, but other than that it's perfect.

"Thank you, Cyzarine. I think... this is just what I need to face the others."

"You're welcome, Clove. That is what I'm here for, after all."

Cato and his stylist, Lysander, walk in just as we're finishing.

Cato is dressed in the same costume I am, and it shows off his muscles to good effect.

If Cyzarine and Lysander weren't right there, I would kiss him.

"Look at you," he says, twirling me around. I giggle. "You look absolutely stunning."

"So do you."

He lets go of me, and I shoulder roll forwards and come up on one knee. "Tag, you're it," I say teasingly,poking his arm.

"Oh, really?" He arches an eyebrow. "Not for long, you-"

I run lightly to the other end of the room. "Try and catch me."

He starts to follow me, but before he can get very far, Lysander jumps in.

"Alright, you two. Enough fooling around. It's almost time."

Cato grabs my hand, and we follow the stylists to the ground floor of the Remake Center.

We stand by our chariot, taking a good look at the other tributes. Some of them are bigger than I expected, including the District Twelve boy.

He might actually be a bit of a threat.

"What do you think?" asks Cato quietly.

"I think we've underestimated a few of them."

He nods, his expression serious.

"Almost time," I say.

"Tag, you're it," he says, tapping me on the shoulder.

I roll my eyes. "Damn it."

He climbs into our chariot and pulls me in after him. We stand with his hand brushing the small of my back in the positions that the stylists told us to stand in: one arm out, our fingers in a 'V' shape.

Then the anthem starts and our chariot moves into the square.

The Capitol is going wild, throwing flowers and screaming our names.

But after a few minutes, it changes. I don't hear shouts of "Clove" and "Cato" anymore.

What I do hear is "Katniss!" and "Peeta!"

We're being outshone -literally outshone- by the District Twelve tributes.

I nudge a very angry Cato. "In the Arena, they're going to be the first to die."


	8. It's Time- Imagine Dragons

**Clove POV**

Cato is still furious when we arrive at our quarters in the Training Center.

"...District Twelve! I mean, really. The highest numbered District and they went and-"

"Hey." I put my hand on his arm. "Yelling about it won't help. They'll be the first to die , alright? But there's nothing we can do about it at the moment. Just get a better score than them in training."

I had almost forgotten about this part of him. The part that would rather explode than admit defeat.

The fire disappears from his eyes, and he grabs my hand. "Guess I'll just have to get over it, then."

I lean into him. "Yeah, maybe you should try being nice around other people for a change."

He snorts. "Like that's gonna happen."

"I'm just saying..."

He rolls his eyes and we sit down for dinner.

Tonight it's chicken in an orange sauce on a bed of pearly white grain. It's delicious, and I practically inhale my whole plate,wishing for seconds. But I know that Enobaria and Brutus will say no.

I excuse myself and go to my room, wishing for home. Life wasn't easy in Two, but at least I knew who I was. Here, I'm just one of twenty-four. Just a piece in their Games.

I pick up a small black and silver device on the bedside table and slide my finger across it. Instantly the city view from my window changes to a Capitol street.

Interesting.

I move my finger again and the street becomes a windy desert, filled with sand and scruffy bushes and a type of tree I don't recognize.

my finger slips across the device and the desert is replaced by a forest. A pine forest. Faint music comes from a hidden speaker and tears sting my eyes.

Home.

Two is where I belong. Not here, in the Capitol, with the artificial woods and artificial wigs and artificial smiles.

I want to go back.

I whimper into a pillow for a few minutes, and then kick off my shoes and fall asleep, still in the chariot costume.

The dream takes me almost right away. I'm wandering alone in the woods wearing a frilly orange strapless dress, calling out Cato's name.

I go to our spot, hoping to see him, and I see a tall boy with light hair coming towards me. At first I think it's him but then I realize that it's the District One boy, Marvel.

He slams me against a tree and pulls out a knife to cut my face. I scream for Cato, but he doesn't come, so I kick Marvel in the groin and make my escape.

Suddenly it isn't Marvel, it's an eagle mutt from the last Games. It flies over to me and grabs me in its talons. Then it flies up, high into the sky, and drops me. Goodbye, Cato, I think as I freefall through the cold air.

I wake up just before I hit the ground.

Cato sits next to me, stroking my hair and saying, "it's alright," as I come to, paralyzed with terror.

"Do you want to talk about it?" He asks me. I shake my head.

"I just need some fresh air." And I do. Suddenly this room seems too small,almost like a cage, and I feel as if the walls are closing in on me.

"Follow me," he says, pulling me to my feet. He leads me into the hallway and through a door that I hadn't seen before. It opens to a balcony overlooking the square. I sit on the floor, leaning against the reassuring bulk of Cato.

"Thanks."

"You're welcome."

We both stare at the Capitol people on the ground below. I hear music and voices and laughter.

"Do you think they're in costumes?"

"Who knows, with all the crazy clothes they wear here."

"I want to go home, Cato," I say, wrapping my arms around him.

"So do I,"he says, returning my hug.

We sit in silence for a while.

"If you were born in the Capitol, would you leave?" he asks softly.

"I don't know, Cato." I turn to watch the Capitol party again.

"I'd leave here," he says, and then looks around nervously. It was loud enough to be heard over the party by any recording devices placed by the Capitol. "I'd go home now if they let me. But I must admit, the food's good. If only we were allowed dessert."

He's covered for us. I hope that anybody watching us won't suspect us of rebellion. I don't want to be seen as a potential threat to security.

He pulls my lips to his in a gentle kiss. The air is freezing, but his lips are warm and so are his hands. I throw my arms around his neck and hold him there as long as I can.

When we break apart, all he says is, " let's go back to sleep. Training's tomorrow and I don't want us to appear as weaklings in front of the rest."

I nod and follow him back to my room. We lie down and eventually Cato falls asleep, his breathing slow and even. I watch the muscles of his back expand and contract until I, too, sink into oblivion.

**By the way, thanks to MutationsRule and thepandagirl16 for being the only people to review my story.**


	9. You Belong With Me- Taylor Swift

**Clove**

I hear Elita rapping on the door to my room. "Up, up, up! Today's a big, big day!"

What would it be like, I wonder, to be inside that woman's head?

Thankfully, she doesn't enter. Cato is still here and I don't want her or anyone else jumping to conclusions. I sit up and shove Cato to wake him.

"Up, up, up. Time for a big big day!" I say to him in an imitation of a Capitol accent.

He groans. "My God. Elita didn't actually say that, did she?"

"She did. With a way better accent, too."

Cato cracks up. "I cannot believe that woman."

"I can. Sort of." I look at Cato and laugh. His hair is flat on one side and sticking up in spikes on the other. "Nice hair."

"Look who's talking. I'm going to go shower."

He stands up, and I smirk. "You know, I think those Capitol showers are worse than mutts."

"You got that right." He kisses me on the cheek and leaves the room, laughing to himself. I sit on the bed and watch him go, hugging my knees.

I am lucky with the showers today. I get warm water instead of cold, and soap that doesn't smell like roses for once. I dress in the only set of clothes my closet contains- a simple black shirt and pants with red and gray accents. The number two is written on the shoulder.

When I go to breakfast, I see that Cato's wearing the same outfit that I am. He sits in his chair with his arms crossed, looking unhappily at the miniscule amount of food on his plate. I don't blame him. Brutus and Enobaria seem to be starving us.

I sit down next to Cato. There's already a plate of food at my place, along with a note from Enobaria that reads:

Here's your breakfast. NO SECONDS. You'll thank me later.

-E

Enobaria is really starting to annoy me.

I scarf down the food on my plate and look longingly at Brutus, who's plate is piled high. Lucky.

Brutus glares at me. "I would suggest that you two head down to training now. It's almost ten."

Cato and I walk to the elevator, hand in hand, and press the button labeled 'training center'.

"This should be fun. We can finally intimidate the rest. Show off what we can do." Cato yawns lazily, and I think back to last night.

"Those District Twelve jerks will be scared out of their wits." I grin, imagining the looks on their faces when they see me throw the knives. I never miss. And nobody, not even Cato, can beat me at knife throwing.

The elevator doors open and Cato releases my hand. Cocky, arrogant Cato is back.

When all of the tributes are assembled, the head trainer Atala begins to speak.

"Rule number one. No fighting with the other tributes. You'll have plenty of time for that in the Arena."

She goes on to explain the various stations. "My advice is, don't ignore the survival skills. Twenty-three of you will die. One will not. Who that is will depend on your ability to anticipate."

Cato rolls his eyes. Our trainers at the Academy gave us the exact same speech speech almost every day, and we've practically memorized it by now.

When she's finished, Cato and I immediately head over to the knives and swords. It's showtime.

I throw my knives at the targets in rapid succession, smiling as I hear each one hit the center. Cato cuts off a dummy's head and whips around to stab another one in the heart. The tributes from District One smile approvingly.

When we're done showing off, Glimmer and Marvel join us at the knives station.

"So..."says Glimmer flirtatiously, putting an arm around Cato's shoulders.

Oh, no, she didn't.

Cato shrugs Glimmer off, and I grab his hand. He laces his fingers with mine.

I give Glimmer my best 'hands off' look and turn back to Cato. He looks at me with such tenderness that Glimmer scowls at the ground. I smirk. That girl is a hopeless case.

Marvel breaks the awkward silence that ensues. "So, do you guys wants to be allies?"

I consider the question. Glimmer is trouble, but Marvel is good with a spear.

"We're in," Cato and I say in unison.

"Welcome to the pack," Glimmer says. "I'm gonna go talk to that District Four girl. See if she wants to join."

Good. I swear I'm going to kill that girl as soon as possible.

I go back to throwing knives.

Just as I'm about to go collect my weapons, Cato wraps his arms around me from behind and says, "looking good, Knife Girl."

I smile, especially since Glimmer's glaring at me from across the room.

This should be fun.

"What do you want to do next?" Cato asks me.

"Let's run the Gauntlet."

The Gauntlet is an obstacle course on the left side of the room. It consists of ascending platforms that rise up to a landing. The goal is to get up and down in the fastest time possible while avoiding trainers swinging padded clubs.

Back in Two, I hold the record at the Academy for the fastest time. This should be a piece of cake.

The other tributes won't know what hit them.


	10. Come Away to the Water- Maroon 5

**Clove POV**

"You took my knife! Give me back my knife!"

"I don't have your knife," the District Nine boy says nervously.

"Cato." I put my hand on his shoulder. "Cato, calm down. He doesn't have your knife. You're making a fool of yourself. Just calm down. Please? It's like Atala said. There's plenty of time for that in the Arena."

I am the only one who can get near Cato when he's like this.

"Alright,"he says softly. To the District Nine boy, he says," you'd better watch out in the Arena." Cato glares at the boy one last time and turns back to me. I raise my eyebrows.

"I thought you said you were going to be nicer around other people."

"No, YOU said that I was going to be nicer around other people."

I give a sigh of exasperation.

Just then, Glimmer sashays over to us with the District Four girl in tow.

"This is Marina, the newest member of the Career pack," she announces.

Marina gives a small wave.

"So," says Glimmer, smiling at Cato (ugh) "what are you all up to?"

The angry glint returns to Cato's eyes. Oh,no. Not again.

I walk over to Glimmer and whisper, "I'm trying to calm him down. The District Nine guy took his knife and I'm usually the only one who can get close to him when he's like this."

"Aww, how sweet."

I give her a death glare. "It's not funny."

"I never said it was."

I return to Cato's side just as the District Twelve boy, Peter or something like that, falls off of the low ropes. Cato snorts. "What an idiot."

I roll my eyes and give District Twelve my best evil grin.

His little girlfriend kneels down next to him and whispers something in his ear. The boy gets up and walks over to the weights.

"This should be good," Marvel says, walking over to join us.

District Twelve throws the weight, knocking a cart of weapons to the side.

"Pretty good," says Cato."I could do better, but we could use strength like that on our team."

Marina nods, biting her lip.

"Thresh, too," Glimmer says. "I'm going to go see if he wants to join us."

I want to throw a knife right in the center of her retreating back.

"Which one is Thresh again?" Cato asks me.

"The District Eleven boy, I think."

"Oh."

We stare at each other for a few more seconds than is socially acceptable, and Marvel starts to snicker.

"Are you two together or something?" Huh. I had pegged Marina as being quiet and shy, not the type to ask a question like that.

Marvel answers for us. "Yes. They made that very clear when Glimmer tried to flirt with Cato." He grins. "Man, you should have seen that. It was like a girl staring war. If looks could kill-"

"Yeah, yeah, I get the idea," Marina says. We laugh, and it occurs to me that if we were from the same district, we would all be friends. I don't want to kill them.

Well, all of them except for Glimmer.

But they all must die if we're to win.

Xxxxx- page break - xxxxx

We have about half an hour of downtime before dinner, so after I shower I sit with Cato on the couch and complain about Glimmer.

"Do you know what she said to me when I threw my knives at the end? She told me that she could do better. I Then she threw and didn't hit a single target and - I swear I will kill that girl."

He rolls his eyes. "She's such a drama queen."

I groan and lie down with my head in his lap.

Just then Elita,Enobaria, Cyzarine, Lysander, and Brutus walk through the door. They seem pretty pleased, so I'm guessing that they did well with the sponsors.

But looks can be deceiving. I could swear Enobaria gives us even less food than usual, and I feel like I could eat the whole training center. The adults don't include us in their conversation so eventually Cato and I wander over to my room and lie down. I'm so tired. From training that I fall asleep almost immediately.

The last thing I hear is Cato saying, "I love you, Clove."


	11. Safe and Sound- Taylor Swift

**I apologize in advance for any mistakes that may pop up; I type this on my Kindle Fire.**

**Clove POV**

I wolf down my breakfast and run down to the training center as fast as possible, taking the stairs because the elevator is too slow.

Today is the day of our private sessions with the Gamemakers.

I beat Cato down the stairs and stand in line with the other tributes. Unlike most, I'm not nervous or apprehensive. Instead, I'm eager to show off what I can do.

Cato has caught my excitement. He leans against a wall, giving the other tributes a vicious smile. He gets a lot out of scaring them, that's for sure. Towards the back of the line, I see the little District Eleven girl shrink back in fear. I think her name's Rue or something like that.

She should not have been chosen. Even though I'm a vicious, bloodthirsty Career, I can't ignore how horrible the whole thing is. Rue should be safe in Eleven right now. She doesn't belong here.

Something in the way she stands reminds me of Catalina.

I decide to go comfort her.

I make my way to the end of the line and whisper to her, "Cato's bark is worse than his bite. He wouldn't hurt you."

"Why are you telling me this?"

"I have a little sister that you remind me of. Her name is Catalina."

Rue smiles. "I had a friend. Winter. She went the year before last year. She looked like you."

I notice the District Twelve girl staring at me, confused.

Maybe she's thinking about the little girl I saw her volunteer for, the girl I think was her sister.

Maybe Fire Girl isn't so bad after all.

"I'd better go, " I tell Rue. "It's almost my turn."

"Good luck."

"-and may the odds be ever in your favor."

She giggles. I wish she didn't have to die. But she's an easy target. I'll be surprised if she makes it to the final eight.

"Clove Eaton."

I walk into the Training Center and pick up a knife.

"Clove Eaton, from District Two," I announce, and then throw it.

It hits the center of the target. As usual.

I hit a few more targets, sever the rope that holds the sandbag for boxing, and then for a finale, throw a knife at the light switch. The room instantly goes black. I drop my knives and say, "thank you. Thank you."

Then I walk back to the elevator.

Cato is already back at our quarters since he went before me, but I don't feel like talking so I sit on the balcony and watch the Capitol people go would it be like, I wonder, to have a different wig every day, to never have attended a Reaping, to be free of the endless oppression and pain that the District people have to tolerate every day?

It must be nice.


	12. Hear Me- Imagine Dragons

**Theme song for this chapter- Hear me by Imagine Dragons**

**Clove POV**

"Cato Prior. A score of ten."

Cato grins. "District Twelve is gonna have a hard time beating that."

"Clove Eaton. A score of ten."

Brutus and Enobaria congratulate us, and Cato kisses me on the cheek. "Nice job, Knife Girl."

"You too."

But there are always two sides to the story. One the one hand, a higher score gets you more sponsors and better odds. But on the other hand, a lot of high scoring tributes go down almost immediately due to the the variables in the Arena.

I'm starting to overthink this.

I lift my head up just as they're ending the District Eleven scores.

"Rue. A score of seven."

I smile. It's an excellent score for one so small.

"Peeta Mellark. A score of eight."

Cato looks at me. "Maybe we should ask him to join the pack."

I shrug. "Maybe he won't want want to join. The Twelve kids are raised hating the Careers."

"Katniss Everdeen. A score of eleven."

Wait. What? Not possible.

Cato's hands clench into fists. "She is dead. District Twelve will be the first to go down. "

I glare at the tv. "How is that possible? It must be a mistake."

Katniss Everdeen will soon be a dead girl.

I storm off to my room and flop down on my bed. I have been working towards this for years. Many times I've imagined getting the top score, winning the Hunger Games, my Victory tour. This reality is a far cry from my vision of glory at the Academy.

I will not let District Twelve steal my thunder.

I throw my pillow at the wall, and since that doesn't cause enough damage, I take a knife from the fruit-and-cheese plate I had earlier and hurl it at the clock on my wall. It hits dead center and shatters the glass.

I throw my plate over my shoulder and hear it shatter on the floor. Then I sit down on the bed, my head in my hands. I just want to go home. I miss Ivan and Mom and especially Catalina. And I hate the Capitol.

They killed my father as a peacekeeper in District Ten. They sat by and watched while twelve districts starved. Every year twenty-three innocent kids die as a a direct result of their terrorism. I'm sick of it.

Right now, I want to do something to show the Capitol they don't own me. That I'm so much more than just a piece in their Games.

I walk up to the picture of the pine forest and lean my head against it. I want to walk the path to our spot again, and revisit the Academy, and come home and talk with Catalina.

A redheaded Avox girl walks in, probably because of all the noise I made destroying things, and her eyes widen at the mess.

"Just leave it !" I scream. "You don't know how it is. You don't know what it's like to be just another one of the Capitol's puppets."

And suddenly, I realize that she does know. And when she defied them, they took her and cut out her tongue as a reminder to the rest of us to be good or else.

Instead of leaving, the Avox bends down and starts to sweep up the shards of glass and broken plate on the floor.

I pick up the pen and pad of paper on the bedside table.

'What's your name?' I write, and hand it to the redheaded Avox.

She scrawls something on on the paper and gives it back to me.

'Lavinia' it reads.

'Why did they do this to you?' I have to know. Even if the knowledge is dangerous. Especially if it's dangerous.

I can see the fear in her eyes as she reads the message, but she writes a response anyway.

'I tried to leave. They caught me. '

Lavinia resumes cleaning up the mess I made.

"I'm sorry this happened to you," I say softly.

She shakes her head and looks down.

"It was wrong. I'm starting to realize just how horrible the authorities are."

Lavinia points at her chest and then at the ceiling. This room is probably bugged. Although I'm pretty sure I spoke quietly enough so that only the Avox and I could hear.

Lavinia finishes cleaning and leaves the room, leaving me alone with my thoughts.

Tomorrow night is the interviews, and then- the Arena.

I sit on the bed, hugging my knees and rocking back and forth, until Cato comes in. He's calmed down a bit, although I can tell he's still mad about the training scores.

"Are you okay?" He asks, concerned.

"I'm fine."

He looks up to check the time and sees the shattered shell of my clock.

"What happened?"

"I threw a bit of a temper tantrum."

Cato sits down next to me. "So did I, actually. Elita told me to go cool off. So here I am."

We sit on the bed, not talking, staring at the picture of the pine forest, for a long time.


	13. Nothing left to Say- Imagine Dragons

**Theme song for this chapter- Nothing left to say by Imagine Dragons**

**Clove POV**

I wake with a start in the middle of the night. I don't remember my dream, but I have a faint sensation of dark places where I walked alone.

Cato is fast asleep beside me. I consider waking him up but decide to let him sleep. I tiptoe to the door to get a drink of water, but when I try the knob I find that the door is locked.

Initially I suspect Brutus or Enobaria but there's a more insidious fear that the Capitol heard what I said to Lavinia and is now monitoring and confining me.

I switch the forest on my wall to the real view of the square and watch the silent, darkened streets, hoping for... what? A sign? A whisper of something?

I was stupid to think I could defy the Capitol and get away with it.

I go back to bed. Sleep doesn't come easily, though. I lie awake, tossing and turning until Cato wakes up too.

"Clove? Is something wrong?"

"I don't know. I just... want to do something. Show the Capitol that we're more than pieces in their Games."

We both stare at the shadows on the wall.

"Oh, by the way, we're locked in."

"What?"

"I wanted a drink but someone locked the door from the outside."

"Why did they do it?"

I tell Cato about my conversation, if it can be called that, with Lavinia.

"That would do it, all right. You may want to lay low for a while."

He holds me close, and we stay like that for the rest of the night, trapped in that odd world in between waking and sleep.

The shadows on my wall seem to be calling to me, beckoning...

I doze off right before dawn, and wake to Enobaria shouting at us to get up.

"Cato, you have your own room. There is no need to share with Clove. Now get it in gear or I'll eat your breakfast."

We both spring up. If there's one thing I can't stand, it's missing breakfast.

I shower quickly, not wanting to stand in the freezing cold water a minute longer than I have to, and get dressed. For breakfast,, Cato and I each have exactly 1 slice of ham, 1 roll, and maybe 5 ounces of scrambled eggs.

Why are they starving us?

Today, I learn, we will be preparing for the interviews. Since we don't want to be coached separately, we have four hours in the morning with Elita for presentation and Four hours after lunch with Brutus and Enobaria for content.

It's not as bad as it could be. Right?

Wrong.

Elita puts me in a dress and high heels and has me practice walking. I don't get the point of wobbling around on the balls of your feet but Elita runs around in them full time and if she can do it, so can I.

Cato, leaning against the wall watching the proceedings, starts to laugh after I almost fall for the third time.

I walk over to punch him on the shoulder but I end up almost falling again. Cato catches me, holding on to me for a few seconds longer than necessary.

"Enough of that," Elita says, embarrassed.

"You might want to be a little more careful with those shoes, Knife Girl."

I roll my eyes."walking in high heels isn't as easy as I make it look. You try walking in these things. It's hard."

We both laugh.

A few hassling hours later, I'm sitting in the prep room again while while Faiga, Addai, and Gaila flit around me, talking about who said what about someone I've never heard of and a long story from Gaila about what a mistake it was to have everyone wear feathers to her birthday party.

I swear if there was a Hunger Games for talking people to death, these three would be victors.

Finally Cyzarine comes in with my dress, which I can't see because it's covered, and shoos them out.

"Thank God. I was so sure my ears were going to fall off."

"Close your eyes,"Cyzarine orders.

I do as she says and blindly pull on the dress, stepping into the high heels.

"Open them."

I look in the mirror and gasp. I'm wearing a frilly strapless dress the color of sunset, and although it reminds me a little too much of the dress in my nightmare the night of the opening ceremony, I am stunning.

"Thank you, Cyzarine,"l whisper."It's beautiful."

Cato comes in, handsome in a black suit and tie.

Lysander and Cyzarine walk us to the room where we will wait for our interviews in silence.

"Remember what we rehearsed,"Cato whispers to me.

Someone counts backwards from five and we're broadcast live to the entire nation of Panem.

**next chapter- the interviews!**


	14. Carry On- Fun

**Clove POV**

"From District Two, the lovely miss Clove Eaton!"

The crowd applauds, and I walk on stage. I'm nervous, my heart is pounding and I feel like I'm going to puke, and I hope it doesn't show.

"So, Clove, a ten in training. Very high score. If I may ask, what did you do to earn that score?" Caesar asks me.

"I can throw knives. I've got perfect aim. I never miss anything that I aim for." I give a half smile. Sweet but sarcastic at the same time.

The crowd applauds again.

"What's your favorite part of the Capitol so far?"

"Well, the food's amazing but my mentor won't let me have desserts. I also love the training center knives. Oh, and the showers," I say with a touch of sarcasm.

The crowd laughs, and I raise my eyebrows. "I don't think the showers like me, though. This morning I got freezing cold water and soap that smells like roses."

Caesar laughs, and so does everyone else. I'm beginning to relax a little.

"Do you have a boy back home? A beautiful girl like you must have someone."

I look down and give a small nod.

"Can you tell us about him?"

"He's very sweet. And strong. I would do anything for him."

The audience sighs, and Caesar says, "I'll tell you what. You go out there, and win this thing- for him."

The Capitol crowd cheers.

"It's not that simple, Caesar, " I say.

"And why ever not?"

I bury my face in my hands. I'm almost ready to cry with the unfairness of it all.

"He came here with me."

"Oh, that's bad," Caesar says, and there's an edge of pain in his voice. "Does he know how you feel about him?"

I nod. "We've been together for two years."

The buzzer to signal the end of my interview goes off, and Caesar and I stand.

"I wish you the best of luck, Clove Eaton, and I think I speak for all of Panem when I say our hearts go with yours."

I walk back stage with a quiet "thank you" and meet up with Cyzarine and Lysander to watch Cato's interview on the screen.

"So, Cato, is your district partner telling the truth? Do we have a pair of lovers this year?"

"Yes, " he says quietly. "I just didn't know what to do. There's no way that I would ever kill her."

Caesar groans. "Oh, that's a piece of bad luck. Poor you."

Cato nods, his expression serious. "I play it over and over again in my mind. What we could've done to keep this from happening. But nothing comes to mind."

The Capitol is going wild, moaning and crying out. If anything, I feel twice as much pain as they do. More, even.

"Let's talk about something less painful. Are you ready for the Arena?"

"Yup. I've got it together. I'm prepared. I'm ready to go."

As Cato's interview goes on, I find myself thinking about a book we read once in school. It was called Romeo and Juliet, and it was about the children of two rival families. They fell in love, but they ended up dying to be together, because Juliet's father had promised her to someone else.

I am determined not to let that happen to Cato and I.

He finishes his interview and leaves the stage.

"You did great," I say, hugging him.

"You too." He kisses me, but only on the forehead because Lysander and Cyzarine are right there, not to mention Brutus, Enobaria, and Elita.

We go back to our quarters and eat dinner, which is a whole chicken with salad and ham. Just this once, Enobaria lets us have as much as we want, because who knows?

This might be our last dinner.

Ever.

I try not to dwell on the fact.

After dinner Cato and I go to my room to try and get some sleep, but I can't turn my brain off.

What will the Arena be like?

A sandy desert? A maze with no way out? A barren wasteland? I think of last year's eagle mutts and shudder.

What monsters will they send out from the shadows to take our sanity and our lives?

Cato sits at the edge of the bed, staring at the wall.

"What do you think the Arena will be like?"

He shrugs. "Dunno. Huge prep room, maybe. That place is a torture chamber. Or maybe a gigantic cake?"

I force a laugh. "Maybe a larger version of a Capitol shower."

We go on like that most of the night, until we eventually doze off, wrapped in each other's arms.


	15. All Eyes- Imagine Dragons

**Kind of a short chapter...**

**Theme song is All Eyes by Imagine Dragons**

**Clove POV**

We don't see Brutus and Enobaria in the morning. I'm not sure if that's a good thing or a bad thing. Elita finds us already half awake and gives us breakfast. Again, no no restrictions on food.

I stuff myself. Who knows when we'll get to eat again?

If we'll get to eat again.

Elita leads us to the hovercraft that will ferry us to the Arena. She hugs us tightly before we go.

"Good luck."

Cato gives me a kiss on the cheek.

"See you at the Cornucopia," I tell him.

"Count on it."

Too bad Glimmer is in our ally pack.

I've seen the way she looks at him when she thinks that I'm not around.

We board the hovercraft in silence.

"Give me your arm," a woman instructs, and I hold out my arm. She sticks some sort of device into my arm, and I wince. It hurts. Something lights up underneath my skin, and I realize it's my tracker.

They will always know where I am in the Arena.

For some reason the thought unnerves me.

As we near the Arena, the windows black out and I survey my fellow tributes. All of them look as tense and nervous as I feel. Who among us will live to see tomorrow?

We are lead to our separate launch rooms, where our stylists wait for us.

I will be the only tribute ever to use this launch room. The Arenas become vacation sites for Capitol tourists after the Games.

In the districts the Launch Room is referred to as the Stockyard.

I'm fighting to keep my breakfast down by the time I arrive at the Launch Room, where Cyzarine waits for me with the Arena outfit.

"Good luck," she says, and I nod. What else is there to say?

We sit in silence until a robotic voice tells me to stand in the tube that will take me to the Arena.

"Bye, Cyzarine," I say, my voice cracking.

She smiles. "See you soon."

If I am still alive.

The metal plate starts to move, lifting me to whatever reality lies in wait for me.

"Ladies and gentlemen, let the seventy-fourth Hunger Games begin!"

Oh, god. This is it.

As we wait for the gong to ring, I look around. Forest to my left, lake to my right, a field of tall grass in between.

Cato is directly across from me. Right next to Glimmer.

She's looking at him like he's lunch. Always trying to shut me down.

Yeah, right. Like that'll happen.

The sound of the gong rings through the clearing.

I run.


	16. Curse- Imagine Dragons

**This chapter is rated PG 13 for extreme cruelty, violence, and bloodthirsty killing rages. This is where my story starts to deviate from the book.**

The first night in the Arena...

I throw the knife so that it hits the lizard square in the back. Next to me, Cato sticks his sword into the fire and then blows on it, making me laugh.

on the other side of Cato, Glimmer giggles and throws her arm around his shoulder. He shrugs her off.

That girl.

I throw another knife at the lizard, cutting off its tail.

I wish that was Glimmer's head.

The fire dies down to embers and Cato, Marvel, Glimmer, and Marina go to bed. I lie down too, but I can't sleep and eventually I lie listening to Cato's even breathing and watching the glowing coals of the fire.

I doze off eventually but wake with a start at the sound of quiet footsteps.

I am instantly alert, my hand on my knife. Ready to kill in a second if necessary.

There is a dark shape leaning over Cato's sleeping body.

Glimmer.

I rise and make my way over to her. Too intent on her prey, she doesn't notice me. When I reach the spot where she stands, I realize that she is holding a knife to Cato's throat.

Oh, God, no.

I slam into her, knocking the knife out of her hand and shoving her up against a tree.

She's too scared to even scream.

"What was that, huh?" I say harshly. "What we're you planning to do to him?"

"I... I didn't want him to be with any other girl."

"Wrong answer, sweetheart."

I throw one of my knives and the blade goes straight through her arm, pinning her to the tree. Blood drips down in a steady stream.

"Now, what we're you DOING to him?"

She hangs her head. "I was going to- to kill him. But please don't kill me!"

My eyes narrow. "Nobody, and I mean nobody, messes with my boy and gets away with it."

And with that, I drive the knife straight through her goes limp. Dead. Just what I wanted. She was an idiot.

She was my ally.

Oh, God, what have I done?

"I'm sorry, Glimmer," I whisper. "I didn't know. I didn't know."

I am a monster.

A sob escapes me, and I dig my fists into the ground.

"Clove what's..." Marina' s eyes widen as she takes it all in. Her dead ally, me, the whole horror around us.

"What happened?"

"She was jealous, and went for Cato, and... I killed her. I KILLED her!"

Marina gasps, and I almost can't deal with the guilt. I've broken the alliance for sure.

"I'm so sorry, Marina. I know she was your friend."

"My friend? No." Marina takes a step back, shaking her head. "All of us except for maybe Marvel hated her almost as much as you did. At least it was quick. " She stops short when she sees the look on my face.

"Right?"

"I- no. Not right."

I burst into tears.

Cato and Marvel wake, and walk over, curious. in a low voice, Marina recounts what happened.

"Clove?"

I look at Cato.

"Is it true?"

I nod.

"Cato, it was awful. I was like.. like a different person. I'm sorry.."

He nods, and Marvel bows his head, and we stand around her body in silence.


	17. I Had Me a Girl - Civil Wars

**I have no choice but to update this. Why? Because TheFire is bugging me to update and making me laugh with their reviews. Never underestimate the power of funny. (Oh, and sorry for any mistakes. I wrote this on my iPod during band class. Also, sorry if this chapter isn't the best. You try writing with a bunch of boys playing Red Hot Chili Peppers on drums and guitars. I just had to join in, ya know? )**

**Theme song for this chapter: I Had Me a Girl by the Civil Wars**

**Clove**

I wake to silence. Blissful, wonderful silence.

Unfortunately, the silence is what brings the remembering of last night. The knife in her hand, the knife in mine, the knife right through her stupid, jealous heart. It scares me. Because this is how far I'm willing to go for him.

" Clove. Time to get up." Cato's voice is sweet, coaxing. I can't. I can't.

I groan and curl up into a ball.

"Clover. You can't hide from the world forever."

He's right. I can't. After all, who would sponsor a girl who keeps crying every time she kills someone? Glimmer wasn't even my friend.

"Don't call me Clover," I mutter, making him grin.

I drag myself out of my sleeping bag and sit at the edge of the fire circle, unwilling to meet the eyes of my allies.

" So, um..." Marvel clears his throat. "We should decide who goes out to hunt for the other tributes and who guards the supplies."

"I'll go hunt," volunteers Cato.

"I'm staying," says Marina. " I'm feeling kind of off."

We look at Marvel. He shrugs. "Whatever. I'll stay here."

I eat a small breakfast of bread and dried fruit, pack my knives, a water bottle, and a first aid kit, and take Cato's hand. I leave without looking back.

* * *

"There," I whisper, pointing from the cover of the trees. The boy from Ten sits motionless by a stream, holding what looks like a fishing pole made from a stick, a tree crotch, and tall grass.

Too bad he won't live to catch one.

"I'll let you do the honors," I say to Cato, a sly grin spreading across my face.

He nods and leaves the brush.

Creeping up silently behind him, Cato grabs the boy in a choke hold and snaps his neck. The cannon sounds.

It's that quick. The death of the boy from District Ten.

"Alright, let's go," Cato says, carrying the boy's pack as well as his own. We continue through the woods, stopping from time to time to check for traces of others.

And that's when the cannon goes off. Just a single shot.

My head whips around, and Cato just raises his eyebrows.

"Might not be anything," he says.

"Let's just check and make sure," I say.

We race back to the lake, weapons in hand.

As we near the camp, I hear a voice that confirms my worse suspicions.

"Marina, stay with me, please..." Marvel begs, tears streaming down his cheeks, just as we stumble into the clearing.

On the ground is the body of the boy from District Eight.

Marina lies on the shore of the lake, a dagger in her side, barely even breathing.

Her lips move, but I can't make out what she says. Marvel slowly, carefully touches his lips to hers in a tender kiss.

Her cannon fires.

"Bye, Sea Girl," Marvel says, and we just watch as he pulls the dagger from her ribs and plunges it into his own heart.

***sniffles***


End file.
